Naked Aussie stuck in washer as part of ill-planned joke freed with olive oil

SYDNEY — A naked Australian man who became stuck in a washing machine as part of an ill-planned practical joke was freed from the appliance with the help of an unusual rescue device: olive oil.

The 20-year-old man, identified only as “Laurence,” told Australia’s Fairfax Radio that he was on his way to take a shower on Saturday when he decided to climb into the top-loader to have a bit of fun. The fun quickly evaporated, however, when he realized he couldn’t budge.

“I’ve been in stranger places if that’s possible,” he told the radio station. “I’ve always been a practical joker. I thought ‘I can easily fit in there’, but the way I sat in there with my legs crossed, it was impossible to get back out.”

He called out to his friend for help, who rang the police. They responded to the scene, along with firefighters, paramedics and a search and rescue squad.

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“He was very well wedged in there and we were concerned for his health and well-being,” Shepparton police Sgt. Michelle De Araugo told the Shepparton News. “It was just a game gone wrong. It would be fair to say the gentleman was very embarrassed.”

Rescuers tried in vain to pull Laurence from the machine. But when it became clear he was seriously stuck, they grabbed a bottle of his favorite olive oil to help lubricate his escape. The oil worked, and he popped out.

“I was quite disappointed they used my good olive oil,” Laurence told Fairfax Radio. “As soon as the washing machine went on its side, it was a bit like a birthing.”